'Best Intentions' is a study of the contacts between German pietists and Anglo-American evangelicals in Germany from the period immediately following the end of World War II in 1945 until after the first evangelistic meetings of Billy Graham in summer of 1954. This thesis takes into particular account the German perceptions of the Anglo-American efforts to bring about reform among German conservatives within the German church, German pietism and the free churches. It also attempts to carefully reconstruct the events as they occurred during the period in question. Current research in the German language on the developments in 19th century pietism has been dealt with in greater detail in providng an understanding of the German reactions. German archival sources containing information on the founding of the World Evangelical Fellowship (1946-1951) and the meetings of Billy Graham in Germany (1954) help in providing an understanding of the German reactions to Anglo-American influences during this period. The British and American evangelicals and German pietists who interacted in the year immediately following World War II shared many of the same historical antecedents and religious convictions. Their recent origins are to be found in the British Keswick movements. The study volunteer movements of the late 19th century gave rise to individuals and organizations whose destinies were inseparably linked following the collapse of Germany in 1945 and during the efforts of conservative evangelicals and pietists to find and establish the new raison d'^etréfor their respective movements in the light of the new developments in world evangelicalism, particularly the rise of the World Council of Churches. The traditional commitment of German pietism to the German <i>Volkskirche</i> and the antithetical goals and methods of the North American New Evangelicals would mean that in spite of a common heritage, the best intentions were to cause considerable confusion during a period of great historical importance for those concerned.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:277279 |
| Date | January 1990 |
| Creators | Kennedy, Robert L. |
| Publisher | University of Aberdeen |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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